After ten years, this cancelled TV show starring Jason Momoa has gained a new life streaming on Netflix — and it’s already made it on the platform’s top 10 most popular shows chart.
The Red Road ran for just two seasons between 2014 and 2015 on the SundanceTV channel and received generally mixed reviews from critics.
Still, the show had a lot of fans who finally have an easy way to watch it, and, at the same time, it’s an exciting new show for Netflix subscribers unaware of it.
Watch With Us breaks down why you should check out The Red Road this week.
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‘The Red Road’ Has a Compelling Premise
The Red Road stars Momoa as ex-con and Indigenous tribe member Phillip Kopus, living among the Ramapo Mountains in New York. Local sheriff Harold Jensen (Martin Henderson) begins investigating the disappearance of a college girl, which slowly begins to unravel his life and puts him on a collision course with Kopus. Kopus’ return from prison threatens to disrupt the shaky peace that’s been maintained in his absence, as the girl’s disappearance further drives a wedge between the townsfolk and the tribe.
The Red Road starts off in a great place, with both a captivating mystery premise and a conflict between characters from drastically different worlds. But the series also has a real-world inspiration, too: the storyline actually draws from the Ramapough Lenape Nation in Ringwood, New Jersey, who were poisoned by waste from the nearby Mahwah Ford Motor Company facility during the 1960s and ’80s.
‘The Red Road’ Features One of Jason Momoa’s Best Performances
If there was one thing that critics and viewers could agree on when it came to The Red Road, it was that Momoa gives a fantastic performance as Phillip Kopus. As the ex-con trying to make his life better, Momoa exudes an understated power — he’s a character with a lot going on underneath the surface. Thus, he needs an actor who is able to perform a delicate balance of showing just enough on the outside, while carrying much more within him. Viewers of the show lauded Momoa’s ability to do just that, giving Kopus’ character the necessary emotional depth and nuance.
While Kopus is something of a “bad seed,” he is also a sympathetic character that you wanna root for. There is possibly no better actor to have played this type of character than Momoa, and there are clear similarities with his performance of Game of Thrones‘ Khal Drogo. Momoa portrays Kopus’ volatility with an intense physicality, while also expressing his status as a “bad guy with a heart of gold.” Despite Kopus’ actions, it’s clear that he experiences profound inner conflict, which makes him not just a character, but a human being. Momoa handily imbues empathy into a morally complex character.
The Show’s Unexpected Popularity on Netflix Could Revive It
While Suits might not have needed a spinoff after the original series found surprising renewed success when it was added to Netflix, a brand-new set of eyes and an impressive amount of streams could very well propel The Red Road into a third season. The fact of the matter is that season 2 ended in such a way that it immediately necessitated a third season, yet it was never given. Fans were outraged after the cancellation succeeded season 2’s cliffhanger ending.
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The Red Road has serious potential despite the mixed reviews from critics, who nevertheless highlighted the film’s qualities, such as Momoa and Henderson’s performances. Some critics even noted that if only the series had stronger writing, it could have been much better. Perhaps Netflix should take note of the popularity of this little, cancelled show that could and allow it a second chance at life. They’ve done it before (see: Arrested Development), so there’s a good chance that fans of The Red Road could get the ending they always wanted.
Stream Red Road now on Netflix.
